Playford Village Website

Playford Church

Approached through an imposing lychgate, steep flight of steps and avenue of limes, the church stands high above both village and valley below. In the south churchyard lie Thomas Clarkson (d. 1846), slavery abolitionist of Playford Hall and George Biddell Airy (d.1892), 7th Astronomer Royal. An obelisk stands to Clarkson’s memory near the south tower-porch which was built by Sir George Felbrigge (d.1400), a descendant of the Bigods - the Norman family who became Earls of Norfolk in the C12th.

Although recorded in Doomsday Book, no visible evidence of the original structure remains. The nave, of random flint rubble construction, dates from c.1300 with fine later-C14th south and west windows though the chancel was entirely rebuilt in 1873-4 in Early English style. The interior is light and airy with a tall and elegant chancel arch of c.1370 but drastic re-ordering during the Victorian period removed all earlier fittings with even the whitewashed barrel ceiling being replaced with the present open trussed roof at the time of Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

In the nave is a marble plaque with bust of George Biddell Airy and in the chancel, where the Felbrigge brass is set in the north wall, is a medallion and profile of Thomas Clarkson. There are also ledger slabs of the Felton family, resident lords of the manor here from 1512 to 1719, after which time the estate passed by marriage to the Bristols of Ickworth. The plate, kept in a bank safe, includes a pair of fine Charles I pewter flagons and a beautiful standing cup of 1619, bequeathed by Lady Elizabeth Felton, a photograph of which appears in Munro Cautley’s Suffolk Churches.

Playford Church is one of three churches (with Little Bealings and All Saints, Kesgrave ) who worship and work together as a group in the Fynn Valley.

Our Sunday services rotate around the churches, so it's best to check in the Fynn Lark News magazine or on the noticeboard for dates and times. We generally have two, sometimes three 10am services each month in the group.

At Playford, there is a service at 10am on the 2nd Sunday of every month and we warmly welcome all ages. Please contact the Churchwarden if you would like to attend as Covid restrictions will apply and extra spaces may need to be made available to accommodate social distancing rules.

We are delighted to help with any requests for blessings, christenings, weddings or funerals. We have an open door policy.

If you have any pastoral needs or prayer requests, do please get in touch. Also let us know if you are able to help us with any aspect of our church life. Whether it is flower arranging, gardening, cleaning, refreshments or help with local needs or with our services, we would love to share the load!

To make arrangements for Baptisms or Weddings, to request a visit or for general inquiries please contact the Revd Gary Jones on 01473 412329 or 07714 614095.

For any other queries please contact: Colin Hedgley (Churchwarden) The Coach House, Playford Mount, IP13 6PH Tel. 01473 738468.